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Tampa Dominates Sunshine State Accolades

from press release

WINTER PARK, Fla. – On Tuesday, the
Sunshine State Conference announced its 2014 Inaugural All-SSC
Men's Lacrosse Team. Tampa's Conor Whipple was selected Player of
the Year and Jake Rooney was named Co-Newcomer of the Year. Florida
Southern's Grant VanOverbeke was also named Co-Newcomer of the
Year. The Spartans' Rory Whipple was named Coach of the Year.

Voting for the All-SSC Men's Lacrosse Team was conducted among
the league's men's lacrosse coaches.

A freshman from Tampa, Fla., Whipple led the conference during
the regular season with 35 assists (2.33 per game) and 78 points
(5.2 per game). He ranked third in the conference with 43 goals
(2.87 per game). Whipple recorded at least one goal in every game
this season, including 10 games with three or more goals. On March
19, the freshman recorded five goals and six assists in a 21-13 win
over Florida Tech. Whipple record four game-winning goals. The
attacker was named SSC Offensive Player of the Week four times
during the first season.

A sophomore from Orlando, Fla., Rooney led the conference during
the regular season with 53 goals (3.53 per game), including four
game-winners. He ranked third in total points during the regular
season with 61 (4.07 per game). Rooney, like his teammate Whipple,
scored at least one goal in every game. He scored three or more
goals in nine games, including two seven-goal games and one
six-goal game. Rooney was named SSC Offensive Player of the Week
once during the regular season.

A freshman from Rosemount, Minn., VanOverbeke ranked second in
the conference with 28 assists (2.15 per game) during the regular
season. He ranked fourth with 31 goals (2.38 per game) and 59
points (4.53 per game). VanOverbeke also recorded four game-winners
during the regular season, and collected a total of six hat tricks.
He recorded a season-high eight points with four goals and four
assists against UMass-Boston on March 18. VanOverbeke was named SSC
Offensive Player of the Week once during the season.

Whipple, in his third season as head coach of the Tampa
Spartans, earns the inaugural SSC Coach of the Year award. The
Spartans won the first-ever SSC men's lacrosse regular season title
in 2014. Whipple led Tampa to a 13-2 regular-season record and a
5-0 record in conference play. The Spartans entered the United
States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Division II
poll in just the second week of the season and remained there all
year. Currently ranked No. 6, Tampa reached its highest ranking of
No. 4 on March 17.